By STEPHEN GROVES, LISA MASCARO and MATTHEW LEE (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is anticipated on the White House and on Capitol Hill subsequent week as he visits the U.S. throughout the United Nations General Assembly.
Zelenskyy’s journey comes as Congress is debating President Joe Biden’s request to offer as a lot as $24 billion in navy and humanitarian support for Ukraine because it fights the Russian invasion.
Jake Sullivan, the president’s nationwide safety adviser, on Friday confirmed that the U.S. president will host Zelenskyy on the White House on Thursday. It will mark the third time that Biden and the Ukrainian chief have met on the White House.
“It certainly comes at a critical time, as Russia desperately seeks help from countries like North Korea for its brutal war in Ukraine, as Ukrainian forces continue to make progress in their counteroffensive, and just after the next Ukraine defense contact group meeting that (Defense) Secretary (Lloyd) Austin is organizing with dozens of our allies and partners in Europe earlier next week,” Sullivan stated throughout a press briefing on the White House on Friday.
Sullivan additionally confirmed Zelenskyy will go to the Capitol.
“I think he’s looking forward to the opportunity not just to see President Biden here at the White House, but also to see congressional leaders from both parties to make the case that the United States has been a great friend and partner to Ukraine throughout this entire brutal war,” he stated.
The Ukrainian president made a wartime go to to Washington in December 2022 and delivered an impassioned handle to a joint assembly of Congress. At the time it was his first recognized journey outdoors his nation since Russia invaded in February of that yr.
In his speech to cheering lawmakers, Zelenskyy thanked Americans for serving to to fund the struggle effort and stated that the cash is “not charity,” however an “investment” in world safety and democracy.
Details of Zelenskyy’s go to subsequent week have been first reported by Punchbowl News.
Meanwhile, the Treasury and State departments introduced they have been imposing new sanctions on greater than 150 people and entities related with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stated the U.S. was “continuing our relentless work to target Russia’s military supply chains and deprive (Russian President Vladimir) Putin of the equipment, technology, and services he needs to wage his barbaric war on Ukraine.”
Congress is more and more divided over offering further funding for Ukraine because the struggle is properly into its second yr. Biden has sought a bundle of $13.1 billion in further navy support for Ukraine and $8.5 billion for humanitarian assist. It additionally consists of $2.3 billion for financing and to catalyze donors by the World Bank.
But conservative Republican lawmakers have been pushing for broad federal spending cuts and a few of these allied with Donald Trump, the previous president, are particularly trying to cease cash to Ukraine.
Congress is working to go its annual appropriations payments earlier than a Sept. 30 deadline to maintain the U.S. authorities working.
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Associated Press author Seung Min Kim contributed to this report.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”
